Bangladesh govt appeals for peace, urges citizens to stop attack on properties of Hasina's family, Awami leaders

Dhaka: Bangladesh's interim government led by Muhammad Yunus on Friday called for peace and urged citizens to immediately restore law and order, putting an end to the three-day mayhem of attacks on properties belonging to deposed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's family and leaders of her party Awami League.

Violence has erupted in Bangladesh since Wednesday night with mobs targeting supporters of Hasina, vandalizing their homes and businesses across the country. Thousands of protesters also set fire to the 32 Dhanmondi residence of Bangladesh founder Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

Rahman had spearheaded the country's autonomy movement and independence struggle from this residence, which was later transformed into a memorial. This historic residence was where Rahman proclaimed Bangladesh's independence from Pakistan in 1971.

The interim government on Thursday blamed Hasina's "provocative" speech for sparking "unintended and unexpected" violence.

A press statement issued by Yunus' office said that the Chief Adviser "calls on all citizens to immediately restore complete law and order and to ensure there will be no further attacks on properties associated with the family of Sheikh Hasina and politicians of the fascist Awami League party or against any citizen on any pretext”.

The statement said despite its understanding of the activists' anger against the ousted premier, the “government appeals to the citizens to abide by the law to show the world we are a nation that respects of the rule of law”.

“The anger of the activists who have attacked properties is understandable because they and their relatives and friends lived through years of tyranny under Hasina... The government also understand the activists' sense of outrage that even from her refuge in New Delhi, Hasina continues to try to mobilise her militants to hamper Bangladesh’s recovery from her years of abuse,” the statement said.

However, respecting the rule of law is what “differentiates the new Bangladesh we are working together to build from the old Bangladesh under the fascist regime”, it said.

“Let us not undermine Bangladeshis' sense of security and stability; any disregard for the law endangers the lives and property of citizens,” it said.

Yunus in the statement said the interim government is working with the security forces to preserve law and order and to protect the lives and property of all Bangladeshis.

“If any attempt is made to destabilise the country through any kind of provocative activities, law enforcement agencies will immediately take strict action against anyone acting to create chaos and anarchy, which emphatically includes the destruction of property,” he said.

The leaders of the “fascist regime” left the country and “they have no chance to come back as long as we remain alert and retain the moral high ground”, the statement said.

“Any attacks to their properties give them an excuse to draw international attention to themselves and dish out their fabricated stories,” it said, adding that the government is in the process of trying Hasina and her supporters for their “crimes against humanity” and the “whole world is with us (while) any deterioration of law and order will give a wrong message to the world”.

A nationwide mayhem reportedly began on Wednesday night when thousands of protesters rallied in front of Mujibur Rahman's 32 Dhanmondi house in Dhaka, a memorial, following a social media call for a "bulldozer procession" ahead of his daughter's scheduled virtual address from exile in India.

The mob set the house on fire while Hasina was delivering her speech from India, where she has been staying since the August 5, 2024 ouster of her Awami League regime. They then demolished it using excavators.

Similar cases of vandalism also took place at several other places, targeting Awami League leaders.

According to Prothom Alo newspaper, the vandalism continued at 32 Dhanmondi house on Friday with protesters cutting the rods of the demolished structure and collecting the remaining metals from there.

This was the ancestral residence of Hasina and her younger sister Sheikh Rehana which later turned into a museum named after the founding leader who was assassinated there along with most of his family members in a military coup on August 15, 1975. Hasina and her sister survived as they were abroad at that time.

The residences of Hasina’s close relatives and party leaders and Awami League offices were also attacked or set on fire in Dhaka and elsewhere, including in the southeastern port city of Chattogram, northwestern Rajshahi and Rangpur, southwestern Barishal and northeastern Sylhet.

As part of the countrywide vandalism, the mob set on fire the houses of former Bangladesh President Abdul Hamid in northern Kishorganj and ex-army chief general Moyeen U Ahmed in southern Noakhali.

Meanwhile, former prime minister Khaleda Zia’s Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) in a statement also asked the interim government to check “mob culture” and establish law and order in the country, warning that its inability to do so would result in the reemergence of “fascist” forces.

In an earlier statement on Thursday, the interim government said the acts of vandalism and arson across the country will be firmly resisted.

"The interim government is observing with deep concern that certain individuals and groups are attempting vandalism and arson in various institutions and establishments across the country. The government will firmly resist such activities," it said.

The government said it is prepared to ensure the security of citizens and their property.

The statement said if any attempt is made to destabilise the country through provocative actions, law enforcement agencies will take immediate and strict measures against the responsible individuals and groups and bring the culprits to justice.

Bangladesh International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) has issued arrest warrants for Hasina and several former Cabinet ministers, advisers, and military and civil officials for "crimes against humanity and genocide".

In December, Bangladesh officially sought Hasina’s repatriation to stand trial on charges of mass killings during the July-August protests.